


Why should only the turtleduck get cuddles??

by Magnoliachild



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Clueless Boys, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Helpful Toph, M/M, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:13:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26668765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magnoliachild/pseuds/Magnoliachild
Summary: After almost 10 years of friendship and many years of fighting a practice fight gets a little warmer than Sokka expected, but it causes Zuko to rethink his approach, leading to Toph to be forced to do all the heavy lifting.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 47





	Why should only the turtleduck get cuddles??

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first work in the fandom and hopefully I'll update this sooner rather than later!! LMK what y'all think cause I'm real nervous to post this!

“If you want me,” Sokka panted, “ come get me.” 

Zuko stepped forward, calmer than he ever looked, until Sokka was forced to step against the pillar behind him, and took his hand and lifted SOkka’s chin ignoring the flinch and shudder, to make their eyes connect and spoke quietly.

“Don’t leave that offer open Sokka. I have dreamed for years, I want you in every way that I don't have you. So you’ll need to clarify, cause all of my ideas require rope, and privacy.” Zuko finished saying and took a step back and smirked at the unsure mess of a man in front of him. 

Zuko watched as Sokka processed everything that he was just told and saw the uncertainty that the boy felt. He decided to give the man so space to think. He stepped closer one more time, “If you make up your mind come find me, you’ll know which room is mine, I told you I needed privacy. And Sokka, it's not just a fling to me.” Zuko finished his statement as a whisper and took a step of initiative and pressed a loving kiss to Sokka’s hand and shoulder as he walked away with a bow and nod. 

Sokka was a mess to say the least. He picked through dinner and went outside to think. He was no longer the scared and defensive boy that Zuko had first met when they all combined to save the world, but he still has childish nightmares and a fear of losing all those he loves, souvenirs of being a child of war. He goes through what he knows. One that Zuko has grown into a wonderful man, he’s calm, beautiful, and respectful. Two, that he and Zuko have always been close and that yeah he would be lying if he said he had never stared at Zuko during training or battle, but that was just to admire his skill, right? Ugh. Sokka decided to go talk to Toph; she always knew what to say without judging. He looked and couldn’t find her so he went back to the pond. 

Zuko would be lying if he said he wasn’t kinda panicking. He didn’t have to panic long because there was a knock on his office door. He called to enter, and of all people to open the door it was Toph, who made herself at home and sat at his desk. Before he could even start Toph did what she did best, “listen here fire face, I may not be able to see the awkward like everyone else I can still feel it so, whatever you did to Snoozles, he’s down and would like to do it again. SO… let him find you, he’s currently outside pacing, so my best guess is he’s trying to convince himself that he’s not worth it. So sparky, go prove him wrong.” she left the same way she came in, with a smirk and a laugh. 

Zuko shakes his head and goes to follow her directions like they always have. He goes to head straight to the turtleduck pond but stops and decides to make a small detour to the kitchen, he knows that as soon as they figure out what’s going on that Sokka will be starving. He chuckles as he gets outside and sees the man asleep against a tree holding a turtleduck. Zuko can hear his uncle’s voice in his head saying that’s how he knows for sure that he got a good man, that the mother turtleduck will let you hold her baby. He gets closer to Sokka and slowly scoops the baby out of his arms and takes it to its family and lays it down gently watching it cuddle in closer, feeling the cool air compared to Sokka’s heat. 

Zuko grins at the man that he has loved for most of his life and shakes his head as he searched for the heat he lost. Being brave after his talk withToph, he slowly sits and pulls Sokka against him so that he is effectively holding Sokka rather than the tree. Zuko decides that he would rather sleep in his bed than under the tree all night so he slowly starts playing with the hair that has fallen out of Sokka’s wolf tail, and whispers his name, Sokka starts to slowly wake up curling into Zuko tracking the heat that wasn’t there when he fell asleep. 

He hears his name being called and feels someone playing with his hair, he takes a deep breath realizing who is holding him and smiles against the warmth that is his favorite fire bender. “So, you decided that I was taking too long to decide or what?” Sokka says without letting go of Zuko. Zuko grins and hears the real question in Sokka’s words, “No, I didn’t get tired, someone knocked some sense into me and I knew you’d be hungry since you didn’t eat anything at dinner.” he says when he pulls out the snacks that he brought out, “so you can eat and while you eat I’m gonna say what I should have said properly this morning.” he looks to Sokka and waits for a nod or anything that indicates that Zuko should continue. Once Sokka nods, Zuko hands the multiple bags of snacks to Sokka, takes a deep breath and starts. 

“When we first met we were both just teenagers doing what we thought was right, and we became friends by fighting for the same thing, then we won which we weren’t sure was gonna happen. Then you stayed here with me, and it made me so happy, and then you had to leave. Then once again you came back, but this time when you came back it wasn't the scrawny kid that I fell in love with it was the solid man that I knew that you would turn into once you weren’t starved by war. Then I realized that you were twice as good a man as I expected you to turn into. You fight for your people and argue with respect. It makes me love you more than I thought possible.” 

Zuko stopped to gather his thoughts and had his eyes closed when he felt a hand in his, “Zuko, I never thought about the fact that I loved you, because I never expected you to like boys and especially not me. I’ve wanted you since the day we ran from boiling rock.” Zuko opens his eyes to see the sad grin that Sokka feels like he’s been wearing for years. Zuko pulls Sokka up to where they are both standing on their knees, Zuko asks with his eyes before pulling Sokka in for their first kiss. 

They kiss with the same level of intensity that they used to fight with, for what could have been an hour or just a few minutes, until the stress of the day finally crashed to shore and breaks, they break apart too and the day catches up to them causing Zuko to yawn as Sokka goes to pull him into another kiss. Sokka giggles knowing that Zuko will panic so he pulls them both up as he kisses him and then stops him to look him in the eyes, “I don’t want to be exhausted and gross our first time, so I say we go sleep in a bed, then in the morning after we’ve washed and had breakfast we can go hang out in the private house for a few hours.” Sokka finished with a nod and a wink at Zuko.

Zuko rolled his eyes and shook his head at the great plan master, as Toph used to call Sokka. “Ok, but only if you’ll sleep with me, because just cause I’m a firebender it’s still cold in my room.” 


End file.
